The pros and cons of 'commuting' is a complete and utter red herring here! These are the issues that will land people neck deep in the brown stuff:
1) Dressing in uniform, and using an airside ID, to access the secure area whilst NOT ON DUTY, is both a security breach and I'm fairly sure, in the UK is breaking the law!
2) Receiving a Benefit in kind, (free travel) without declaring it for tax purposes, is tax evasion.
3) Anyone listed as supernumary crew, is engaged ON DUTY which must count towards FTL limits. Failing to declare such duty time is definitely breaking the law, and is wreckless.
Which category are these FR pilots in?
As a FR CONTRACTOR, they fit in to all 3. A contractor may be rostered away from his own base (and some find themselves out of base 50% of the time) others are left alone to operate in their assigned base. All positioning at the behest of the operator is not recorded and it's down to the individual to position to the base. This could be a drive from STN to MAN, or a 3 legged position to the arse end of nowhere. That ever so famous 5/4 roster pattern becomes a 7/2 if the connections don't work.
As a FR EMPLOYEE. All out of base work, the deadhead flights are recorded as duty, ticketed and HOTAC paid for by the company.
Really sad to see pilots stirring up a storm in tea cup for their contemporaries. No wonder the industry as gone to pot when we all try and get each other in the brown stuff.
I see this thread as a means of highlighting how certain legislation is circumnavigated by airlines.